The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation has respectively committed $1.8 million and $2 million to “Next Generation Concrete: Leveraging Byproducts of Lithium Industry as High Performance Supplementary Cementitious Materials” and “AI-Powered Blending Strategies for Supplementary Cementitious Materials for Enhanced Domestic Cement Supply Chain” investigations.
The former is based at Oregon State University, Corvallis, with partners Amrize Ltd. and Albemarle Corp., North Carolina-based lithium processor. Investigators will test optimized grinding techniques and thermodynamic simulation to improve the reactivity of a lithium battery manufacturing byproduct, delithiated aluminosilicate, as a supplementary cementitious material.
“AI Powered Blending Strategies” is based at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, with partners Ecocem Americas, slag cement processing capacity developer; Cleveland Cliffs Inc., a key steel blast furnace operator; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates; Reserve Management Group; and, Quapaw Nation. Investigators will test an artificial intelligence-powered platform to expand SCM inventory. Leveraging a comprehensive database of 20,000-plus points, the AI model stands to enable rapid and accurate concrete performance predictions and optimize mix designs with portland cement substitution at 60-80 percent levels. A key objective is to integrate locally available and waste-derived SCMs, aiming for a tool delivering 90 percent accuracy.
The two projects are within Building and Infrastructure Materials – Cement and Concrete, Asphalt and Glass. It is one of five areas under DOE-designated Energy-Intensive Industries for which the Office of Critical Minerals is funding a total of 12 projects. Eight additional projects under Cross-Sector Technologies round out work in current Office commitments totaling $52 million. All projects will proceed with an eye to “revitalize[ing] domestic manufacturing and onshore[ing] industrial excellence.” They have been selected for their potential to accelerate the development of secure, affordable energy technologies in trade-exposed industries to reduce reliance on imports while driving economic growth and supporting job creation.
“Investing in American innovation and energy technology is key to our nation’s success,” says Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “The Trump Administration is committed to supporting efforts that advance next-generation technologies, strengthen our nation’s energy security, and position American industries at the forefront of the global marketplace.”
